In many spinal and orthopedic procedures a bone plate is used to fix bone segments, such as adjacent vertebrae. In laminoplasty procedures, for example, in which the lamina of a vertebra is cut and spaced apart to expand the spinal canal, a laminoplasty plate is frequently used to stabilize the cut vertebra after expansion of the spinal canal. Manipulating the laminoplasty plate into the proper position and anchoring it to the vertebra can be challenging, as laminoplasty plates are small and difficult to handle. For this reason, there is a need for improved instruments and techniques for manipulating laminoplasty plates and other types of bone plates.